During one week, the rhythms of Carnival take over the streets of central Funchal, which throb to the sound of marches and bands in a festival that combines precision, high spirits, vivacity, satire and revelry, imbuing locals and visitors alike with the Carnival spirit. The Carnival programme features a range of entertaining activities, highlighted by two main events the Parade of Floats on the night of Saturday, 25th February, involving…

The ‘Festa dos Compadres’ marks the opening of the Carnival season in Madeira, a tradition going back to more than 50 years, which is celebrated with great enthusiasm in Santana. This is an event known for its originality, marked by its gigantic gures who roam the streets of this quiet town located on the north of the Madeira island, in a parade full of humour, lots of colour and merriment.

The Funchal Mountain Club (CMOF) promotes the Madeira Orienteering Festival a sportive event held between from 9th to 12th February. Orienteering is a recently discovered sport in Portugal, but has already been around as an organised sporting activity for over 100 years (the rst sporting activity of Orienteering is reputed to have been held in Bergen, in Norway, in 1897), and is also one of the sporting activities to have…

This is a famous and old Madeira tradition enjoyed with a special feeling by the local residents of Seixal, a small village located near Porto Moniz. This social gathering takes place early in the morning at Chão da Ribeira, on the first sunday after the religious feast of St. Antão, an occasion where families come together to prepare the “Panelo”, a culinary dish made of vegetables and blood sausage, very…

The Madeira Athletics Association (AARAM) promotes this major international sporting event. This sports event consists of three main races, the Funchal Marathon (42.195,00 meters), the Funchal Half Marathon (21.097,50 meters) and the Mini marathon (5.900 meters). This race will once again be run on a flat course, almost entirely on a closed, attractively landscaped circuit, offering the perfect setting for healthy competition between athletes from different nationalities. + info: http://www.funchalmarathon.com/